Ragnarök
by JadeDjo
Summary: WWII!AU - The battle for the Pacific has reached a breaking point.
1. Chapter 1

This idea came from an anon ask over on hiilikedragons fabulous tumblr blog and with Cat's encouragement I wrote a WWII!AU. In my opinion the fighting in the Pacific doesn't get as much attention as it should when people talk about WWII.

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**October 1944 - The Gulf of Leyte**

The sky was thick with fighters. Each one jockeying for a better position or dodging enemy fire. Gunfire shot out from all angles. Some from the sea, most from the air. So much a pilot was more likely to fly through a random field of fire then be purposefully shot down.

As it was above, so it was below. The sea turned a choppy white in the wake of the great ships mightily engines. There were huge spouts of water as torpedoes exploded and planes fell from the sky. Not to be out down by water, massive fireballs erupted as ammunition from the enormous cannons found their targets.

The battle was the largest, most impressive, most deadly thing Hiccup had ever seen and he had to time to spare any thought for what I could mean for the war. Just that they had to win.

"Black Five!" he yelled into his mike as he rolled his Hellcat out of the way of the oncoming Zeros. "You've got two on your six!"

_"__I can't shake 'em!"_ was Ruffnut's panicked reply in his ear. _"Black Six, where the HELL are you!"_

_"__I'm headed right for you Five," _was Tuffnut's stressed reply_. "With five Japs ridding my ass. Ready for a fly bye?"_

_"__Bring 'em on Bro,"_ Ruffnut said. _"Right or left?"_

_"__Guess I'll go left, right?"_

_"__Right, left or right, right?"_

_"__Ahh…"_

_"__TUFF!"_

_"__Go right!"_ he yelled at the last minute.

Hiccups fighter just happened to be pointed in the right direction to see Ruff and Tuff flip their planes on the right wing and their bellies fly by with only feet to spare. The following enemy planes didn't even see each other till it was too late. The two on Ruff's tail slammed headlong into two of the Zero's hounding Tuff. The resulting explosion also took out a third that strayed too close. A fourth had its wing shredded as Hiccup sprayed it with gun fire from his six Browning machine guns. The last dove for the deck and Hiccup lost track of it.

A shock wave hit him from behind and Astrid called in his headset, _"You're all clear Black One."_

_"__Thanks for the assist Black Two,"_ he called gratefully. He hadn't even known he'd picked up a tail.

_"__If you guys are done playing,"_ Snotlout said. _"It looks like the _Hooligan_ needs help."_

With Astrid on his left wing and the twins on his right, Hiccup swung his fighter north and saw the skies above the aircraft carrier _USS Hooligan_ swarming with fighters.

"Black One to Red One," Hiccup called to the Dragon Squadron leader as he and his Wing caught up with Snotlout and his wingman, Fishlegs.

They continued to juke and jinx, evading enemy fire and taking shots as they presented themselves as Black Wing neared the lead carrier.

"Black One to Red one, come in," Hiccup called again.

_"__Red one is down,"_ a strained voice said. Red Five Hiccup thought.

_"__So is Green one and most of our Wing,"_ Green Two shouted.

_"__Looks like you're in charge Black One,"_ Red Five said_. "Orders?"_

Hiccup took a quick glance around the _Hooligan_ and took a deep breath before calling out, "Head for the _Hooligan_ as best you can and try and relieve the cruisers and battleships. Take over covering fire."

_"__Roger that Dragon Leader,"_ echoed in his ear.

Switching back to his wings comm channel Hiccup said "Looks like we're the back bone of the squadron. Red and Green Wings will be our support. I want each flight pair to cover each other as much as possible. Try not to get caught up in dogfights. Remember, protect the _Hooligan_."

As Dragon Squadron fought their way to the lead aircraft carrier, Hiccup could see its own squadrons in heated dogfights with more Jap planes then they could handle.

"Alright Dragons! Let's go clear the skies for the Admiral! Red Wing, you come out of the north. Green, the west. Support the Meatheads, Berserkers, and Hysterics. Black Wing, we'll come out of the sun on top of them and cover the Lava Louts and Bog Burglars."

A chorus of _"Roger"_ and _"Copy that"_ sounded over the air waves as Black Wing made for the clouds and Red and Green went to their assigned vectors.

"Hold on Dad," Hiccup whispered to himself. "I'm coming." He and his father may not have the best relationship but he also wasn't going to fly idly by when Stoick needed help.

_"__Black One,"_ Astrid said. _"You sure you know what you're doing?"_

_"__Yeah man,"_ Tuff broke in. _"There's a whole lotta fighters down there."_

_"__Right, let's not do anything stupid here,"_ Snotlout added.

"Then it's a good think I never do anything stupid," and Hiccup injected as much confidence into his voice that he didn't necessarily feel.

_"__No,"_ Astrid agreed. _"Just crazy."_ And maybe he just wanted to hear it but she sounded proud.

_"__I like crazy,"_ Ruff cooed over the headset.

_"__If that's the case, me too!"_ Tuff added, as usual not understanding his sisters double meaning.

_"__Am I the only one who thinks this might be ill advised?"_ Fishlegs cautioned.

_"__Yes,"_ five other voices echoed over the wing's channel.

_"__Ok, just checking."_

When the fighters reached the clouds, Hiccup knew it was now or never. "Dragon Riders," he encouraged as he pulled the yoke hard to starboard in a rolling dive. "Let's plow the road!"

He didn't need to check to make sure Astrid stayed on his wing or that any of the others managed to stay with him. They'd trained and flown together for so long and survived countless missions. They were a team and there were no other group of pilots he'd want at his back.

With the sun behind them, Black Wing managed to take a group of Zero's by surprise, downing 3 and scattering the rest. And just like that they were in the thick of the battle. They broke up by wingmen and began to push back the enemy from the _Hooligan_.

What felt like hours, but couldn't be more than a few minutes, Snotlout shouted over the comm channel. _"I'm hit!"_

_"__Bailout,"_ yelled Fishlegs.

_"__No! I can land. I …."_ And the comm when dead.

Hiccup wanted to mourn his friend, as the others called out. But the thick of battle was no time to lose your head and he let the comm chatter float over him as he fired on his current target.

The Hellcat fired and he knew he struck a wing and then the fuel tank as the Zero erupted in flames.

Just as he was about to pull about to find another target, strafing fire hit his right aileron and narrowly missed his vertical stabilizer.

"Black Two, I'm hit!"

_"__How bad?!"_ and he could hear a note of panic in her voice.

Hiccup pushed on the right aileron. It was sluggish but responding. "It's dragging but still flyable," he reassured her. "I'm with you."

_"__You sure?"_

"Do I have a choice?"

_"__Fall back and watch my six,"_ Astrid told him and he throttled down to just off her left wing.

She managed to finish off another plane and the skies cleared for brief instant. He could see the gray of the _Hooligan_ silhouetted against the darker sea around her. Fighters zoomed past, both friendly and not. Astrid maneuvered to follow a group attacking planes trying to land when suddenly one of the Zeros broke off and headed straight for the carrier's bridge.

This was the first time Hiccup had seen a Japanese suicide plane. He had heard about them from other pilots, but this one was right in front of him and headed for the commanded deck of his father's ship.

"Black Two!" he called, while simultaneously pulling a hard turn to intercept. "There's a rouge Zero headed for the _Hooligan_."

_"__Kinda busy Black One,"_ Astrid said. _"I'm on two headed for the deck."_

As he closed on the rouge Zero he lead the target and open fired. A few bullets and markers shot out then abruptly stopped before the enemy plane could enter into his line of fire.

"Damn it!" he shouted to empty air.

"Black One to any available fighter. There's a Kamikaze headed for the _Hooligan_. Is there anyone with some fire power left?"

_"__Red Five, I'm out."_

_"__Black Six, Sorry One, I'm over by the _Berk."

He got a few more similar responses and he knew what he had to do.

Pushing he's engines to full throttle he called his wingmate. "Astrid," he said not even bothering with call signs. "Stay on those two. Don't follow me."

_"__Hiccup, don't. Stop thinking what I know you're thinking! Right now!"_

"Astrid, I have to. I'm the only one close enough"

_"__No! I won't let you."_

"You can't stop me."

_"__Hiccup," _she sobbed and it nearly shook his resolve. "_I'm coming, just wait for me."_

"There's no time. I love you." They'd never said the words to each other. It was always implied by a thousand different looks, a caress to the hand or across the shoulders, but never said. As if saying what they felt in the middle of a war would sign their death sentence. He was going to say it after. After the war. After the killing and death were over. But time had run out for him and he needed her to know how he felt.

_"__Don't you dare say that to me"_ she pleaded. _"Not now."_

The Zero was almost to the bridge and he pushed the Hellcat for everything it had. He had already undone his buckles and his hand on the lever to pop the canopy when he said, "Please milady, forget me." And pulled the canopy release.

He heard her anguished cry of "_Hiccup! NOOOO…."_ Before the rushing wind filled the cockpit and stole her voice from his ears.

Hiccup scrambled as fast as he could from the doomed plane. He knew bailing out was a long shot but he had to at least try, keeping his hand on the yoke until the last moment. The fighter was so close to the Zero that Hiccup could see the Jap's surprise as he jumped from the plane.

The explosion above him was deafening and buffeted him as he pulled his parachute release. As soon as the chute opened he felt a searing pain in his left leg and…..Nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

_Just a quick author's note: For anyone following this story it will be updated on a very inconsistent basis. Since I'm splitting my time between this, my Gustav Larson story, and RL don't expect regular updates. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read!_

_On with the show._

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**Spring 1943 – The South Pacific**

Lieutenant Herman "Hiccup" Haddock landed his new Grumman F6F Hellcat easily on the deck of the aircraft carrier _USS Hooligan._ He and the plane were a new transfer to the carrier group and still needed to report to his escort carrier and new squadron leader. But first he'd been ordered, no, commanded to report to the commander of the carrier group first.

It was unheard of for a naval aviator to report to the group commander. But not if said commander was none other than Admiral Stoick Haddock, Hiccup's father.

After his fighter was taxied to a holding spot on deck and he drew out all of his post flight checklists, Hiccup saw no more reason to put off the meeting. He made his way to his father's office using the directions provide by the deck officer and miscellaneous crew along the way.

Eventually he found himself outside the Admiral's door. Honestly he had no idea what his father could want to speak to him about. With a knot in his stomach and full of trepidation, Hiccup knocked on the bulkhead. "Enter," said a gruff voice with a slight Scottish brogue.

Stoick looked the same as he did four years ago. Red hair and beard neatly trimmed and combed with maybe a little more silver at the temples and chin. Not a hair out of place and not a speck on his khaki duty uniform. Were as Hiccup's hair was mussed from his flight cap and he was still in his flight clothes and harness that were wrinkled from sitting in the cockpit for so long.

He could already see a frown forming as the Admiral's eyebrows came together. "Herman," his father said by way of greeting. "It's been a long time."

"Four years, sir," Hiccup said thankful his voice was steady.

"Aye," and Hiccup could have sworn he saw something that might have been regret flash across the older man's face before being replaced with cool professionalism.

"Well, you're here now," the Admiral said as if that would erase the last four years.

"Sir," Hiccup interrupted. "Just _why_ am I here? Sir." He knew he was being insubordinate, but it had been a long flight and he just wanted this uncomfortable meeting to be over.

"No reason. Just a father wanting to see his son. You've done well for yourself." Stoick almost sounded proud.

But Hiccup didn't want his father to be proud of him for this. "If you can call being good at killing 'doing well' for myself."

"Herman…" his father began and Hiccup just did not want another fight right now. Fighting the Japs was enough.

"Admiral," Hiccup interrupted again. "If there is nothing else I still need to report to Commander Davis and hopefully get some rack time in."

"Of course Lieutenant," and Stoick matched Hiccups professional tones. "Dismissed."

"Sir," and Hiccup gave a proper salute and left.

The officers' mess hall was nearly deserted. It was well past the dinner hour for the day shift and evening shift was already on duty. So Hiccup had the pick of places to sit, if not eat. Corned beef hash from fresh from a can tasted pretty much the same as hours later.

He was pushing the gray brown meat around his tray when someone suddenly sat down next to him. Not like on the same side of the table with space between them, but literally right next to him on his left. Practically in his lap.

Surprised Hiccup looked over at the blond man to tell him to respect personal space when a new body sat down on his right. Just as uncomfortably close. Hiccup quickly looked right to see a womanized version of the man.

"Do you mind?" snapped Hiccup as the pair leaned in.

"No," they said together.

"You must be the new guy," the woman purred at him.

"Are you gonna eat that?" said the man.

"Just who are you people? How about giving a guy some breathing room?"

"Don't mind the twins," a new voice advised. "They're always like that."

"And you are?" Hiccup glowered.

"Sorry, I'm Lt. Junior Grade Walter Ingerman, call sign 'Fishlegs'. And these are LTJG Tommy and Ruthie Thorston. Call signs 'Tuffnut' and 'Ruffnut' respectively or just 'the twins'."

Hiccup was stunned by the recitation. These were some of his new squad mates. He'd only had a moment to glance at the file Commander Davis had given him, but the names sounded familiar. Before he could even think of introducing himself, Lt. Ingerman continued.

"And you are Lt. Herman Haddock, call sign 'Hiccup'. Newly assigned to Dragon Squadron and the new leader of Black Wing. You have 13 kills qualifying you for Ace statues and the son of Admiral…"

"You can stop now Fishlegs," said a fourth new voice as a stocky black haired man sat at the quickly filling table. "I think he knows who he is

"I know Snotlout. But I memorized his file. The one Commander Davis gave us and…"

"Yeah, we know Fishlegs," interjected a woman's voice as a fifth person sat down at the now full table.

Hiccup was now boxed in with the twins on either side, Fishlegs in front and to his right. The man Fishlegs called Snotlout to in front and left and the new, (and Hiccup couldn't help but note) stunningly beautiful blond in-between them and directly in front of Hiccup.

Even though she hadn't said much all the others seemed to defer to her. It didn't seem like an accident that Fishlegs and Snotlout had left the space in front of him open. They'd left it open for her.

"Lieutenant Astrid Hofferson. Lt. Hofferson to you," she said haughtily.

"You're all Black Wing?" Hiccup guessed. He may not have finished the paperwork he'd been given but who else could they be.

"That's right," Hofferson said with hostility. "And I should have been Black Wing Leader. Not some wannabe hotshot who's only here because his Daddy pulled some strings."

"Ah, Astrid I don't think…," Fishlegs started to say before getting cut off.

"Can if Fish," said Hofferson without looking away from Hiccup.

"Look," Hiccup tried to reason with her but was unable to keep the annoyance from his voice. "I'm just following orders. My orders say to report to the _USS Berk_ and join Dragon Squadron as Black Wing leader. That's it. So if you have a problem with that Lt. you can take it up with Commander Davis. And for your information I could give a flying flip what my Father wants. My transfer was put in by Davis and approved by Fleet Command. That fact that the Admiral of this carrier group is my father has absolutely no bearing on my being stationed here." And without waiting for a replay Hiccup stood without another word and left the mess hall.

He could feel the eyes of his new wing on his back as he made his way to the squad's barrack and hoped that being assigned to Dragon Squadron wasn't Fleet Commands idea of a joke.


End file.
